Mounting credit card debt makes it difficult for consumers to make bill payments

Thursday, 10 February 2011 13:00

While many consumers are getting a better handle on their credit card debt, some are still having so much financial trouble that they're missing payment on at least one of their major monthly bills, according to the latest statistics from the Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker Index. Overall, 9.7 percent of consumers reported that financial constraints caused them to let at least one important payment fall delinquent in the previous month.

This group of consumers often cited changes to their credit card agreements as one of the primary reasons they could not meet their obligations, the report said. In particular, alterations to interest rates paid on existing credit card debt, penalty rates and fees applied to accounts that had already become delinquent, as well as reduced credit limits contributed to their economic troubles.

However, consumers with lower household incomes - those earning less than $50,000 a year - were affected by these problems at a disproportionate rate, the report said. Of these consumers, 14.1 percent reported they had missed at least one major bill payment in the previous month. Exacerbating their problems is a considerably higher rate of unemployment, where 11.7 percent of this group lost their job during the month, compared to just 6.7 percent of all consumers.

In addition, many consumers faced financial problems related to medical problems, the report said. About 17 percent said that much of their money was siphoned off by medical bills and medication they could not afford, and 9.3 percent lost or saw shortfalls in the healthcare coverage.

These troubles came even as more consumers seemingly have a better handle on dealing with their credit card debt. All of the nation's major credit lenders have reported considerable improvements in both delinquency and charge off rates in recent months. However, some financial experts say this is also a function of many consumers who had previously defaulted can no longer qualify for new lines of credit of any kind, even as lenders once again loosen restrictions.

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Debt Consolidation: “Debt Consolidation” is one of the most commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted personal finance strategies that consumers inquire about all the time. While some view it as a method of taking on new loans, others see it as a debt relief alternative. It is more important than ever for inquisitive consumers to have a very strong understanding of exactly what debt consolidation entails, and the impacts it can have on personal finances.

Debt Relief: Debt relief is defined as a partial or total forgiveness of debt. When the term is used by the government, it usually refers to the forgiveness of debt to underdeveloped countries. Recently, it has begun to refer to the millions of consumers who are overwhelmed with debt seeking financial relief from their unsecured debt.

Credit Card Debt: Credit card debt is an example of unsecured consumer debt, accessed through credit cards. Debt results when a client of a credit card company purchases an item or service through the card system. Debt accumulates and increases via interest and penalties when the consumer does not pay the company for the money he or she has spent.

Debt Settlement: Debt settlement programs use a third party to negotiate lower balances and interest rates on unsecured debt. This type of debt management plan helps provide consumers an alternative to bankruptcy while reducing your outstanding debt.

Credit Counseling: There are a numerous options for consumers who want to start getting their finances under control after accumulating large amounts of debt, which could inevitably lead to credit problems further down the road. Consumers who are in control of most aspects of their finances, but still feel like they could use additional help managing their debt burden, could certainly benefit from the assistance of a consumer credit counseling service.

How Do I Get Out of Debt?: Now that the national economy is beginning to recover and people are having a better time dealing with their personal finances, many consumers who found themselves sunk deep in debt over the last few years may be asking themselves the question, “How do I get out of debt?” Fortunately, there are a number of avenues consumers can take to get out of debt, each with benefits and drawbacks depending on how quickly people need to fix their financial problems.

10 Tips to Avoid the Debt Trap: Have you ever thought about why so many of the people you know are struggling with debt? Do you ever wonder why banks keep lending to certain individuals, even when they are falling behind on their payments? Did you know that debt problems are a leading cause of major societal problems, such as stress, divorce and alcoholism?

Credit Management: Many consumers are finding themselves buried under a pile of mounting debt. With interest accumulating month after month in addition to late fees being charged, many consumers are finding it difficult to make just the minimum payments on their credit cards. Although this may seem like an endless battle, with a strict budget and some discipline there are credit management strategies and solutions that will allow consumers to reduce or even eliminate their debt.

Credit Card Debt Reduction: In recent months, many Americans have made a greater effort to seek credit card debt reduction and reduce the balances they owe, but some may not know where to start. Fortunately, there are several options available for consumers thathave a financial goal to achieve credit card debt reduction.

Credit problems: Paying down high levels of debt is one of the best ways to improve credit problems and increase one’s credit standing. But many people cannot do that so quickly, especially in this economy. About one-third of a credit score is based off of a credit utilization ratio, which is the total creditbalances divided by the total credit limits. A great target is to use no more than 30% of one’s available credit.

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